Why is getting regular hearing assessments important? That’s because your general health can be significantly impacted by hearing loss. Having your hearing tested regularly can help you detect hearing loss early, get care sooner, and, improve your health, wellness, and quality of life.
Getting a hearing test – who should do it?
Your health and well-being can be seriously affected by untreated hearing loss. Social isolation, for example, can be a result of neglected hearing loss. Conversations with family and friends can become more difficult, and people who suffer from hearing loss might be less likely to reach out to others, even during normal activities like shopping or going to work. This sort of social isolation can be detrimental to your mental health and, possibly somewhat surprisingly, your physical well-being.
Hearing loss can cause other issues as well. For example, neglected hearing loss has been linked to many chronic conditions, including cognitive decline and depression. Comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease have also been associated with hearing loss.
As a result, it’s generally a good plan for just about anyone to schedule a routine hearing test.
Four reasons to monitor your hearing
There are four significant reasons why keeping an eye on your hearing can be worthwhile to your general health.
1. Establishing a baseline for your hearing is significant
Why would you want to have your hearing tested if it seems healthy? Well, getting a hearing test early is a good idea for a number of reasons. Your current level of hearing can be established by a hearing exam and that’s probably the most significant thing. If your hearing changes in the future, this will make it easier to detect. Early symptoms of hearing loss often go undetected because hearing loss often develops gradually over time.
Getting a baseline hearing exam will help detect problems long before you observe them.
2. Diagnose and treat issues earlier
Hearing loss is normally a progressive condition, meaning it tends to get worse over time. You’ll have a better prognosis, as a result, if you recognize your hearing loss early. If you treat the condition as early as possible, you will have more positive results.
Early treatment might include anything from taking steps to protect your hearing like using ear protection in noisy spaces to using hearing aids. Treatment can help prevent many of the associated issues listed above, such as dementia, depression, and social isolation.
3. Future changes will be easier to assess
Your hearing loss will keep progressing even after you get diagnosed. Routine hearing assessments can help you identify changes as you go along, and make adjustments to your treatment plan as needed.
4. You can avoid additional damage to your ears
Hearing loss that develops gradually over time is usually caused by damage. Visiting us regularly to get your hearing checked helps you detect that damage as early as possible, and it also gives you access to a significant resource: your hearing specialist. We can help you keep your hearing as healthy as possible by providing you with treatments, best practices, and information.
We can help you figure out ways to keep sounds around you quieter and also help you safeguard your ears from day-to-day damage.
How frequently should I have my hearing examined?
In general, it’s suggested that adults get a hearing test sometime in their 20s or 30s, on the earlier side. It’s normally standard best practice to get a hearing exam every ten years thereafter unless you detect signs of hearing loss or we suggest something more often.
But maybe you’re thinking: what should I expect at my hearing test? Hearing tests are generally completely non-invasive. Often, all you do is put on special headphones and listen for a particular sound.
We will be able to help you get the care you need, whether you need a set of hearing aids or you simply need to protect your ears. And a hearing exam can help you figure out when the best time to get your care may be.
